


Hear My Soul Speak

by star_named_andy



Series: Shakespeare Does a Funny Thing [4]
Category: The Hobbit (1977), The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: All the time, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Archery, F/M, M/M, Mr. and Mrs. Bowman, References to Shakespeare, Romance, Seduction, Smut, dildo, emotion, horny! thranduil, kinky videos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-10
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-22 03:44:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3713704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star_named_andy/pseuds/star_named_andy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bard turned his face and their noses brushed before Bard smiled and claimed Thranduil’s waiting lips in a sweet kiss. He was so happy in that instant that he felt as if there was a light exploding inside of him and pouring out of his ears because he couldn’t contain it all. He let his lips linger knowingly, but not lazily. His kiss was firm, keeping Thranduil from giving too much of a reaction in response, and the first kiss of their reunion spoke a thousand words that Bard could never conjure verbally if he tried. Such a simple thing as a kiss made Bard feel like he was both the most powerful and the weakest man on the earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hear My Soul Speak

**Author's Note:**

> The fourth installment of the Barduil College/Shakespeare series has arrived!!~  
> (Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, or any of its characters or content. I also make no claims to owning any of William Shakespeare's work.)

The cream painted walls were flushed with light pouring form a chandelier above and beaming from the sconces on either side of the king sized bed in the center of the camera frame. Behind the pristine bed was a padded satin headboard with a golden sheen that matched the unwrinkled sheets and fluffed pillows. The many flowers he’d been gifted for his performance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that once brought life to his dorm room surrounded his bed. To the side edge of the bed sat a basket with a purple ribbon fashioned into a bow on the front and there were several items inside the basket, but Bard couldn’t quite make out what any of them were for sure.

The bedroom looked to be something straight out of a home decoration or vacation magazine and Bard knew wherever it was, it was where Thranduil was staying; he recognized the sheets from the picture he’d received the night previous. If the room he was seeing was Thranduil’s bedroom at his home, it fit him perfectly. It really was a lovely scene. All that was missing was Thranduil.

It was then that Thranduil made his entrance into the scene and Bard caught his breath; the power of his beauty through the camera was astounding. He was devastatingly beautiful and it was sad that he was not in Bard’s real gaze. This was only a moving image of Thranduil from a different time, but he was striking none the less.

The bottom of Thranduil’s hair bounced against his lower back as he walked to the bed wearing nothing but a pair of powder blue briefs. He came into the frame with purpose in his stride and climbed up onto the bed with his ass perked up into the air very deliberately and the dip at his lower back looked very pronounced as he moved to the middle of the bed. His hand plucked inside of the basket and he pulled out an unidentified tube. He gave a generous squirt into his hand before putting the tube back into the basket and then rubbed his hands together to warm and spread the liquid.

Bard had a very anxious feeling occupying his stomach at this point, half nervous and half excited, because he knew that this scenario was only going in one direction, but he definitely was not going to stop watching Thranduil’s scheme unravel. He stared, waiting for the blonde’s next move, and could already feel the fire of longing flaring in his lower region. He shyly rested his hand upon his leg near his growing arousal and blushed in the darkness. He felt incredibly guilty for even _thinking_ of pleasuring himself to the image of Thranduil this way, but then Thranduil’s icy blue gaze looked straight into the camera lens and through his soul. It was as if they were looking right into each other’s eyes as Thranduil’s top teeth skimmed his bottom lip and his hand disappeared under the edge of his briefs.

Bard shuddered as the sound of a soft moan touched deep in his ears through his headphones and his heart picked up in pace very noticeably. Thranduil’s pretty pink lips hung open as his eyes glossed over with a thin haze of pleasure. His eyes were still connected to the camera lens as he massaged his hidden member with his coated palm.

Bard’s hand floated onto his now full-fledged arousal, unable to restrain himself as he stared back at Thranduil’s eyes. He began rubbing his package outside of his flannel pajama pants, but Thranduil gave an alluring smirk as if he really was watching Bard and he couldn’t stand the restraint of the pants any longer. Bard’s hand hurriedly flew inside his pants as he desperately  gripped himself, he let out a whimper; his erection was hurting him quite badly and he wanted to release himself and bring both euphoria and relief, but he couldn’t rush himself with such a beautiful film unraveling before his eyes.

Thranduil gave himself just a few strokes before bringing himself to his knees with blush in his cheeks and gradually lowering his briefs, slowly revealing his distinct hipbones and the object of his attention:  his slim cock which was just as pale as the rest of him with the exception of his blue veins and the pink tip. A twinkle at the base of his length caught Bard’s eye, and he could only define it as a thin silver ring that clung around him.

Thranduil lifted each of his knees to slide the briefs down his legs and then kick them from his ankles. He teased himself and Bard as his fingers traced from the silver ring to the very top of the head with his thumb adding extra pressure on the underside of his dick as he did this a few times. He placed a pillow in front of him before taking more lube from his basket of goodies and glazing his fingers with it. As soon as he decided he had enough, he was back onto his knees with one of his hands supporting him as well. One of his hands vanished behind him and as he arched his back, Bard knew that Thranduil had skipped fondling his entrance and had instead filled it without any preparation by how wide his eyes grew and the whimper that escaped him. His expression resolved into one of peace and satisfaction, a smirk curling on Thranduil’s lips as he sighed a moan and thrust into himself.

Bard started to pump himself as he watched Thranduil fingering himself with as much power and depth as his wrists would allow. With every noise that reverberated from the headphones planted deep in his ears, Bard could feel his member twitch with excitement – oh, how he wished to be with Thranduil in that moment and let the attractive blonde relax himself from the work while Bard did it all for him.

Thranduil let his back create a slope, his upper end finding comfort on the bed as he put a second finger inside himself. His breathing and his sounds were all quite calm, but his eyes gave off something other than calmness completely. The way his brows were furrowed and the way his lips were tight together when he wasn’t releasing a moan that forced his mouth open gave Bard the impression that Thranduil was frustrated. He certainly seemed so as his hand came back into the view and reached inside the basket. From it he pulled a purple mass that made Bard gasp loudly – there was no _guessing_ what that was; its form was so phallic that it could only be _a dildo_. He was suddenly uncomfortably hot, even just in his pajama bottoms and tank top – this whole scenario was absolutely _dirty_ and it made Bard blush in a fit of bashfulness. He could never even watch kinky porn on the internet because it was all just so intimate that he couldn’t bare the sight of such things like dildos and toys without feeling extremely flustered. He wrapped his fingers at his base to stop his eagerness from flowing any further before he could see what would happen next.

Bard’s cock throbbed in his hand and he bit down on his clenched fist as Thranduil brought the dildo into his mouth and his tongue swirled over its ridges. Tears spilled through Thranduil’s closed eyes as he forced the dildo deeper, drenching it in saliva as he lapped his tongue around it and sucked. Once he was finished giving the object oral, he pulled it from his mouth most enticingly; his watering eyes fluttered open and tongue hung out until the strong of saliva connecting him to the dildo finally snapped. His lips were glistening shamelessly wet and he didn’t bother to wipe his mouth as he bent his arm back with his dildo ready in his hand. He was more careful with his mock phallus than he was with his fingers as he pushed it against his opening.

Thranduil let out a long, high pitched moan as he slid the dildo in deeper and gave it its first thrust. He bit down on his pillow and whined as he thrust the dildo again and again with his ass far up in the air. Bard was gravely jealous of the plastic apparatus as it was rubbed against Thranduil’s glorious insides – an inanimate object was not worthy of Thranduil, for it could not appreciate his splendor and honor him properly. Bard started back up giving his yearning cock attention, but the little pleasure his own hand could grant him was nothing compared to what Thranduil could give him. He wondered and almost hoped that Thranduil had the same feelings about his efforts in the video; surely, Bard could give him what he really needed: intimacy with deep feelings interlaced with his movements aimed to please the body and the soul. Thranduil couldn’t have warm embraces and kisses and kind words while he was being filled from a pretend dick.

As much as Bard wanted to see Thranduil’s face twist when he’d reached his euphoric peak, he paused the video and closed out of it entirely. His arousal was failing him as he was overcome with an onslaught of emotion and thought; he couldn’t stand the thought of envying a dildo, but he did envy it and he hated it. He didn’t hate that Thranduil had pleasured himself and wanted to show him, but the fake phallus was empty. It could give Thranduil no compassion and Bard _could_ and he _wanted_ to. He wanted to be the one, the only one, to send Thranduil into a state of pure and utter bliss and give him a  high from the sensations that the fulfillment of desire could bring.

Bard was not surprised that he had these feelings; he’d told Thranduil there had been times in high school where he almost lost his virginity, but those times were _almosts_ for a reason. Bard never had the right connection to the people pursuing him and could not let himself be put in such a vulnerable position if there was no “love” in making love, but he’d given himself to Thranduil because he really cared for him immensely  – yes, there was no denying it at this point and he honestly felt as if Thranduil cared for him. This was beyond a crush, but it wasn’t quite love yet…it couldn’t be.

He removed his headphones and gave a heavy exhale through his nose. What a strange turn of events.

Me: you really are beautiful, Thranduil <3

Thranduil Oropherion: You liked it, did you? ;)

Me: it was wonderful.

Well, it wasn’t a _whole_ lie, but Bard didn’t have the heart to tell Thranduil that he’d been turned off by being jealous of a dildo. He’d probably think he was an idiot or be offended, or both.

Me: whenever you wish to see me i’ll be happy to make it work. i really would like to see you and treat you to something special.

Thranduil Oropherion: Would you rather I come to you or you come to me?

Me: for what i have in mind you’ll have to be here. is that okay?

Thranduil Oropherion: More than okay. Just say when and I’ll be there.

Me: hm…maybe two days?

Thranduil Oropherion: I’ll see you in two days. What’s your address?

Bard gave Thranduil his home address and told Thranduil what he would need to bring so that they may finally meet again after being separated by summer vacation. Bard was giddy and he wanted to criticize himself for feeling like a little teenager, but he decided he didn’t care to rag on himself and just basked in his happiness. He could hardly fall asleep that night, knowing that come that time the next night, Thranduil would soon be in his presence.

One morning had passed, as did the day and night and now a new especially bright morning smiled upon Bard from his window. He flung himself out of bed and went right to the shower to begin dressing himself for seeing Thranduil. He would have put on a pair of his best jeans, but for where he would be taking Thranduil, he figured an older pair of shorts would be fit for the occasion. After swiping on a lot of deodorant, he donned a white t-shirt he’d gotten from one of the many archery tournaments he’d been in and spritzed himself with cologne (which he figured was stupid afterward since he’d just be spraying bug spray on himself a little later). He tied a blue bandana around his head and grabbed his truck keys, sunglasses, and the bag he’d packed the night previous before shoving his feet into his hiking boots, giving a hug and kiss to his mom and dad and skipping out the door. He’d told them a friend from school would be coming to visit, so they weren’t completely thrown off by his excitement, but they still gave him those looks that said “Is this a _special_ friend?”.

When he stepped outside, he guessed that his mother and father were spying on him through the window as a lustrous Audi R8 parked in their driveway. The door opened and Thranduil emerged, flipping a section of his hair over his shoulder and Bard could barely breathe as his grin stretched wide. As Thranduil faced him, he smiled first very softly and then bared his teeth in a grin just as wide as Bard’s. The fact that Thranduil was reflecting his own delight made Bard’s heart flutter as he sped forward to greet Thranduil with a hug.

“Hey, you got here okay!” Bard said and Thranduil gave a laugh as his arms folded around Bard.

“I missed you.” His velvet voice was real again and it made Bard want to melt. They then looked each other in the eyes with their arms still hanging around each other. Bard was glad that Thranduil listened to his instructions and wore proper attire: jeans he didn’t care to get busted up, sneakers, a purple t-shirt that read “FABULOUS” across the chest with sunglasses tucked over the collar. Thranduil from his height began to lean down toward Bard’s face, but then his eyes, insanely bright in the sunlight, floated over to his little country looking home and returned with an amused glint in them. “Are those your parents?”

“If there are two people in the window looking at us, then yes, those are my parents.”

Bard turned to look for himself and he saw both his mother and father quickly vanish from behind the glass. He gave a shake of his head and rolled his eyes at their antics. He couldn’t really blame them for being curious, seeing as Thranduil’s car was probably the fanciest they’d ever seen in person and then someone equally rich in appearance had emerged from the vehicle with the sun’s rays bouncing off of him like a diamond. His attention was back on Thranduil as the blonde gave Bard a squeeze of his hand.

“I don’t want to be rude; why don’t I introduce myself before we leave?” he suggested.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that. They’re just nosy.” Bard said quickly, thinking it a very serious thing to actually introduce Thranduil to his parents.

“I don’t feel obligated, but it would be polite.” Thranduil went on and Bard shrugged.

“If you really want to, I don’t see why not. They may be a bit weird though.”

With a chuckle, Bard led Thranduil up to the front door and let him inside. Thranduil’s gaze soaked in the home interior as Bard peeked into the next room over and saw his parents sitting very causally and innocently at the round kitchen table.

“Did you forget something, honey?” his mother spoke, her long dark curls twisted up in a bun with a few strays hanging at various lengths around her angular face.

“No, my friend actually wanted to meet you.” Bard said and his father put down his cup of coffee with raised eyebrow.

“Oh? Then show him in, by all means.” His father said and his mother leaned over to dab a bit of coffee from his thick mustache.

Thranduil then stepped into the kitchen with an intoxicating, charming smile and he went right to the kitchen table. With a bend of his back, he shook the hand of Bard’s mother and then his father.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Bowman. I’m Thranduil Oropherion, a friend of Bard’s from school. It’s nice to meet you; your son is quite the gentleman and now I see that he couldn’t have turned out any other way with such kind looking parents.” He spoke in his smooth voice and Bard watched his parents closely as they stared at Thranduil in wonder and curiosity.

“Thranduil Oropherion? That’s one hell of a name. Just call me Brant.” His father said with a nod and Thranduil stared at him a bit too much. Bard was going to give him a nudge, but then Thranduil spoke.

“I’m sorry, Brant, you and your son just look so very similar – it’s uncanny!”

“Bard has always looked like Brant, even when he was a baby.” Bard’s mother began. “The moment I saw him I knew it and so did everyone else; it’s given Brant quite the big head over the years since Bard is known as the handsome man of the family.”

“No wonder.” Thranduil commented with a smile at Bard and he blushed.

“I should get out some pictures to show you, Thranduil!” Bard’s mother said as she rose from the table and as horror struck Bard’s expression, Brant spoke up very helpfully.

“Runa, don’t mortify the poor boy.”

“Oh, I’m sorry honey, am I embarrassing you?” Runa said as she looked at Bard and he offered her a smile.

“Let’s just hold off on the baby pictures for now, ma.”

“Can I get you anything while you’re here, Thranduil? _Such_ a pretty name by the way, and good looking too!”

“ _Ma_.” Bard spoke and Brant reached out for Runa’s hand, pulling her back down into her chair.

“Let the boys go, unless they do want something before they leave.” He said and both of Bard’s parents looked up to Thranduil for an answer.

“I’m alright, thank you.” He said and Bard was ultimately relieved.

Thranduil gave a poised wave as they departed the kitchen and returned to the outside with Runa calling out to them to “have fun” and “be safe”. They both shared a laugh as they stepped outside. Bard opened the passenger side door to his truck for Thranduil and the blonde happily climbed inside. As Bard rounded the truck, entered on his side and tossed his bag in the back, Thranduil was giving him a smirk.

“What’s that look for?” Bard asked and Thranduil pouted.

“I wanted to see those baby pictures.”

“What, my half nude selfies aren’t enough? Now you want to see my naked baby butt?” Bard mused and Thranduil rang out a silvery laugh of chiming bells.

“There are pictures of your little, adorable, squishy _baby butt_? And I’m not seeing them? Now I have to go back inside.”

“What? Of course not. I didn’t say that.” Bard joked, grabbing Thranduil’s hand as he teasingly leaned toward the door to hop out. Bard’s hand kept Thranduil inside and he shot Bard a cheeky grin before scooting close to him and hooking his arm into Bard’s as the truck was started.

“I like your grown up butt a lot better, anyway.”

“You’ve never seen my _grown up_ butt.” Bard managed through his chuckling.

“We can change that.” Thranduil proposed and his lips pressed against the angle of Bard’s jaw. Bard turned his face and their noses brushed before Bard smiled and claimed Thranduil’s waiting lips in a sweet kiss. He was so happy in that instant that he felt as if there was a light exploding inside of him and pouring out of his ears because he couldn’t contain it all. He let his lips linger knowingly, but not lazily. His kiss was firm, keeping Thranduil from giving too much of a reaction in response, and the first kiss of their reunion spoke a thousand words that Bard could never conjure verbally if he tried. Such a simple thing as a kiss made Bard feel like he was both the most powerful and the weakest man on the earth.

“I missed you too, you know.” Bard said once the kiss was broken; he could hardly believe that he could feel vibration in his throat and that the words he heard were _his_ , forming in _his_ voice, after what felt like an out of body experience. As he realized he was in fact in his body, the idea that none of this was real danced around in his head only briefly before that thought was whisked away by how overwhelmingly beautiful he thought Thranduil was; even the way his hair moved as his shoulders shifted was entrancing. The next thought to invade his mind was only one of self-criticism; he had to be some kind of crazy to be _so_ smitten by this guy, but he decided that was not a matter to dwell over now and he wouldn’t speak a word of it. He wouldn’t bother questioning his level of infatuation for Thranduil until a later date and perhaps that was foolish, but he was young. Couldn’t he afford to be a little foolish?

Thranduil tried to steal another kiss from the dazed brunette, but before he could draw Bard into getting carried away, Bard held his CD holder up in front of Thranduil’s lips with a smirk and a raise of his eyebrows. Thranduil plucked the collection from Bard’s hand and stuck his tongue out, recognizing his defeat. Bard pat Thranduil on the leg and backed out of the driveway as Thranduil started flipping through his music choices.

Along the way, Thranduil was still unaware of where their destination was, plenty distracted by songs ranging from Macklemore to Sia, Nicki Minaj, Maroon 5, Panic! At the Disco, Michael Jackson, NSYNC, and Mumford and Sons (needless to say, Bard and Thranduil luckily shared a diverse taste in music). The energy in the truck calmed immensely once the Mumford and Sons tracks went on, relaxing the two from their intense singing and flailing to every song; they really did both know every word to every song that played and neither of them had held back one bit in their little sing and dance off – Bard had even stuck his leg out the window at one point, unable to conform to the confines of his truck while in such an exhilarated state…in retrospect, sticking his leg out the window probably wasn’t a good idea, since it was harder to get his leg back in than it had been to get it out. Thranduil had laughed at first, but then he got very scared and took the wheel for Bard as he pulled his leg back inside the vehicle.

Now they were sitting back leisurely in their seats with the windows rolled down. Bard kept one arm hanging out his open window and the other on the steering wheel while softly murmuring with the lyrics. Thranduil was absolutely quiet now, which was strange, but Bard had just figured he was a little tired out from the craziness and it was for the better that he was relaxing now since they had a bit of a hike ahead of them; little did he know that was true and Thranduil also wanted to listen to Bard’s voice as he sang gently on his own.

“Where are we going?” Thranduil finally asked once the CD had stopped. He paused the CD before the first song could start again as not to take up any of Bard’s solo time, but then the car slowed, bumped over a patch of dirt and rock, and then stopped completely near a sign that read “Crater Lake National Park”.  Ahead was a straight dirt path surrounded by trees baring lively green color. The windows went up and Thranduil gave Bard a dark, dramatic expression from over his shoulder. He almost clung to the door as he stared with wild, frightened eyes. “Is this the p-part where you kill me and throw my body in the woods? Please sir, I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Nope, no murder and abandonment; just a romantic outing in the good old outdoors.” Bard said simply and gave him a small applause. “Nice acting, though; you really can turn it on like a switch. That voice really freaked me out.”

“I meant the last bit of that though. I’ll do whatever you want me to.” Thranduil said with a seductive mile and his normal temperament retuning as he unbuckled and leaned close to Bard’s face. They met with a deep kiss which escalated rapidly; Thranduil was practically in Bard’s seat with his tongue skimming across Bard’s lips eagerly. One more move and Thranduil would be on Bard’s lap. As he shifted to swing his long leg over and straddle Bard, Bard’s hands flew up to his shoulders to push him gently back. Thranduil’s teeth clanked together as his opening for a nibble of Bard’s skin was closed and he frowned.

“We haven’t even gotten to the best part of the trip yet! Let’s just wait for any of that until a little later.” Bard said with a grin bright and charming enough to soften Thranduil’s pouting.

Bard waited for Thranduil to put his hair up into a satisfactory ponytail and slip on his sunglasses. Bard donned his sunglasses also to shield his eyes from the extraordinary glare of the sunbeams shining down on them.

“Are you wearing sunscreen? It’s gonna be a hot one and the sun has no mercy on fair creatures such as yourself.” Bard said and Thranduil shook his head. “Not to worry, you won’t burn as long as I’m around.” Bard flashed a smile as he whipped out his trusty tube of sunscreen from his backpack and Thranduil spread it over his porcelain skin very generously. After covering his cheeks and rounding his jaw, he stretched his neck and smoothed the cream from his palms over his perfect complexion; Bard wondered if he was spreading the skin-guard sensually on purpose or if he just moved with such precision and attractive grace naturally. With Thranduil, it was difficult to tell.

“A lake, huh? Well, we are in Laketown...I didn’t bring a bathing suit. Will we be swimming in the nude?” Thranduil spoke as he tipped down his lenses to wink at Bard and twisted a finger around his sleek ponytail.

“No swimming at this lake. I hope you don’t mind a bit of a hike.” Bard said and took Thranduil’s hand with a nod toward the path.

“Not at all.” Thranduil replied, giving Bard’s hand a light squeeze before following him to the trail and being surrounded by tall trees swaying at the whim of every gust of wind that came by.

The straight, level path soon transitioned into a steep, narrow one with trees closing in tight on both sides of the trail. A shade was cast over them from the treetops above, providing just a slight relief from the sun’s intensity.  Thranduil kept up with Bard perfectly well, even as the track became abruptly rugged and the air was growing thick with heat. Bard made sure that they both stayed hydrated as they clambered higher toward their terminus. As Bard calculated that they were close to the end of their brief hiking journey, he felt giddy with anxiousness; he wanted so badly for Thranduil to be trapped in awe by what he was going to see.

“So do you take all of your dates on hikes? Is this your way of weeding out the weak ones?” Thranduil mused as he nimbly maneuvered around a dead tree trunk with Bard, who was ahead of him, attached to him by the hand just in case he faltered.

“Are you kidding? This isn’t your ordinary hike, I’ll have you know. It’s very special and I don’t take just _anyone_ to special places like this. Just you wait and see for yourself.”

The density of the trees quickly became thinner with their next few powerful steps up as they neared the opening of the clearing which would end their trek. The crest of the clearing was teeming with blinding sunlight which assured Bard that the sight that awaited them would be a truly glorious one. He slowed as he approached the top of the flat opening so that he and Thranduil would be immersed into the view at the same exact time. Hand in hand, the rewarding relief of flat ground finally came to ease their tired feet and their dazzled eyes soaked in the grandiose, divine scene painted before them.

Bard gave a content sigh as he tucked his thumbs into his pockets and he heard Thranduil take in a sharp gasp. They both stood still, taking in the gaze gracing their mortal lives which in that moment seemed both spectacular and small all at once. Bard had been here many times before, but the view never ceased to ensnare him. Where they stood, they were positioned within a vast circle of mountains and in the center of that circle was the magnificent Crater Lake. Crater Lake was a phenomenon that drew in visitors from all different places of the world because of its story and its unfathomable beauty; Crater Lake was not only the deepest lake in the country, but it was also one of the clearest in the world, since it is only filled by rain water and snow and no other inflow or outflow sources. The mountain lake has sacred origins, once revered by the Klamath Native Americans in earlier days. The lake was formed long before it was discovered and cherished by the Klamaths by the eruption of Mount Mazama. A crater surfaced in result of the eruption, and thus it the crater was filled with pure water from the sky and the intense, deep blue, world renowned Crater Lake of Oregon was created.

Both of them said nothing for a long time out of honest speechlessness and a desire not to tarnish the moment they were sharing, joined by the hand and looking over the perfect cobalt lake in wonder. It was only when Thranduil lowered his head and a few of his fingers slid under his sunglasses that Bard took his eyes away from the lake to look at his fair company.

“Thranduil?” he spoke and the blonde raised his head to face him, his eyes concealed. Bard pushed his glasses up onto his forehead and then turned, leading Thranduil back away from the direct glower of the sun and he gently placed his fingers at the sides of Thranduil’s sunglasses and removed them from his thin framed face. His thoughts were then confirmed and there were tears spilling over the brim of Thranduil’s eyes. Bard folded the glasses onto Thranduil’s collar before cupping his cheek and smoothing the pad of his thumb over the blonde’s stream of tears. “Why do you cry?” he asked with a tilt of his head and a warm smile. “I hope it’s not because you’re disappointed. I really thought that this would be something you’d enjoy.”

“No.” Thranduil spoke in a very firm voice most similar to the one he used when playing a character such as Oberon. He moved his head away from Bard’s soft touch very briskly and hurriedly planted his fingers beneath his tear ducts to stop the rush of salt tears. Bard did not press for answers and let Thranduil compose himself until he decided to speak again. “I’m not really good at this kind of thing, I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean?” Bard inquired and wanted to reach forward and grasp his shoulder, take his hand, caress his face – anything that would soothe him, but he refrained as Thranduil may still be fragile and not want to be touched as he had been only a moment ago.

“I mean this is – well, look at it!” Thranduil said gesturing his arm out to the view with a sigh. His gaze kept away from setting on Bard. “It’s all too good, Bard; _you’re_ too good…I’m not good with emotions or connections _like this_ …I’m probably overreacting. Sorry for being presumptuous and crying and just being…stupid.”

“Thranduil, you don’t have to apologize for _anything_.” Bard said and Thranduil’s eyes moved a little closer to meeting his. “I’ve already seen you cry remember?” The end of Thranduil’s lips curved in a slight smile, remembering the night of their first meeting.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“So hey, who cares? I’m not bothered by it and it’s healthy to cry. You know, no one is perfect, though you make me doubt that sometimes.”

“You seem awfully close to it then and it’s very daunting.”

“ _Me_?” Bard questioned in disbelief and his chuckle brought Thranduil’s gaze flickering onto him. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that you can be a bit of an intimidating figure yourself, so we’re both a little nervous. I’m not proficient with dating and things either, not extremely, anyway.”

“No, no, no,” Thranduil cut in with a stubborn shake of his head. “It’s not the _dating_ , its…everything that comes with it with you. You’re just _different_ and it makes me feel weird and I don’t know what to make of it.”

“That’s alright. You don’t have to know just yet. We can just enjoy each other. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“But I get the feeling that you’ve already decided how you feel about me.”

Bard paused, his eyes wandering from Thranduil’s close, waiting stare.

“I won’t lie to you. It’s true,” Bard could see Thranduil visibly tense then. “But there’s no pressure, honestly. I don’t expect anything from you. Take all the time you want to think about me or not; all I ask is that you don’t pass something up because you’re afraid of something new, whether it’s with me or not. I can tell that you are a little nervous about trusting people and having a commitment, but you deserve to be happy, more than anyone else in this world. I admit that I haven’t really liked any one so strongly…ever. And I fell for you faster than I’d like to confess...”

"Confess everything; I need to know. Really."

"...Hear my soul speak: the very instant that I saw you did my heart fly to your service...my bounty is as deep as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite. I don't think even all of Shakespeare's words of romance could fully describe everything I feel."

“God, you’re just making it _worse_.” Thranduil rasped, pressing his fingers against his temples and Bard raised an alarmed brow. “I don’t mean it in a bad way, and I know I asked, but you’re just…so _perfect_ , or whatever you’ll call it if you don’t believe in those things. You’re sweet and good looking and you sing like an angel and you’re just fucking awesome to be with and I can’t see any faults in you and it scares the hell out of me.”

“I’m sorry.” Bard supplied lamely. “I bite my nails a lot.”

“What?”

“Well, that’s a fault I guess, right? It’s a nasty habit, at least…what else? Oh, I’ve been told I can’t hold my tongue even when I need to. I can be a loud mouth when it comes to certain things and I’ve also been told I have a martyr complex. I’m also a neat freak. And I’m too honest, like right now. While I’m being honest, I should tell you I didn’t watch all of that video you sent me; I couldn’t. It’ll sound weird, but I just couldn’t stand watching you commit such a lonely act while I knew that I could provide you with so much more than just a good fuck…I humbly do beseech of your pardon, for too much loving you.”

Thranduil’s face lit up as Bard babbled about his self-proclaimed flaws and wrapped it all up with a fitting quote from Othello. He extended his hand and Bard gladly took it.

“I haven’t scared you off with my crying?” Thranduil chimed liltingly.

“Again, I’ve already seen you cry.” Bard teased and they both mirrored a smile from each other. “For now I think we should just sit back and enjoy the reward of our hike.”

“Yes, and I would not wish any companion in the world but you.”

The fashion in which they bounced Shakespeare’s heartfelt words back and forth so easily tightened their bond much more than either of them consciously knew, but none the less they left any heavy troubles burdening their minds to the wayside as they sat and eventually laid together in the grass of the clearing while drinking in the mystical view of Crater Lake. Individually they each reveled in how amazing it was that the other could make them feel so comfortable.

Bard’s chest served as a pillow for Thranduil who curled himself up against him as they cuddled and it was funny how the tall blonde could make himself look so scrunched and small. Bard kept a hand under his own head for a bit of coziness and with the other hand he combed his fingers through Thranduil’s ponytail. After an hour of silent relaxation, Bard sat himself up a little and noticed Thranduil, blinking his eyes, was getting as sleepy as he was. They decided to leave, despite neither of them wanting to part from the breathtaking view, solely because if they stayed there much longer they would surely fall asleep. They took a few commemorative photos with their phones before traveling back down.

The journey  to the base of the mountain required much more care than going up it because it was so steep, but once they reached the bottom and got to the original level path, they were feeling refreshed and quite at ease.

“Do you want to get something to eat?” Bard asked as he sat himself in the truck on the driver’s side and Thranduil clutched his stomach.

“ _God_ yes. After all of the driving, singing, hiking, emotions and the cuddling, I need food. ”

“Good, because I’m starving. We’ll go to a cute little diner I like near where I live, unless you want something specific.”

“Do they have breakfast all day?”

“They do, actually.”

“Hell. Yes.”

It turned out that Thranduil was incredibly cute when he was wolfing down French toast drizzled with strawberry sauce and powdered sugar. Bard had to make an effort not to laugh and choke on his burger because he just couldn’t ignore how feverishly he devoured it all – he was so delicate looking, so it really was comical to see Thranduil sweaty in his “FABULOUS” t-shirt and dirty jeans with messy hair and syrup sticking to his mouth. He somehow didn’t seem to notice that everyone in the diner was staring at him; he was more interested in how the severs all knew Bard by name.

Bard gladly covered the check and Thranduil tried furiously to clean his face with a napkin and ended up resorting to the bathroom facilities to wash his face properly. He looked much more pleased when he came out, but he was surprised as a burp came bubbling out of his mouth and he quickly covered his mouth as he and Bard erupted in laughter and swiftly left the diner before they could disturb anyone further with their boisterousness.

“You’re cute.” Bard commented as they climbed into the truck again and Thranduil shrugged with a smile.

“Thank you for the food, it was very delicious. I just _love_ French toast.”

“I can tell.” Bard chuckled. “It was my pleasure. I make a mean French toast, by the way. I’ll have to make it for you sometime.”

“With strawberries on top?”

“Whatever you’d like.”

“Mm, I love strawberries too.”

“I think you’re just a fruit person.”

“Me too; I think I still have a taste of little strawberry on my lips. You want some?”

Bard answered the blonde quickly with a kiss, but the kiss was certainly not one given in haste. He held Thranduil’s face still, keeping him from escaping and attacking him with the blatant, unstoppable desire Bard knew the blonde had pent up inside of him. Thranduil had fussed at first, but Bard was insistent on drawing out the embrace of their lips as long as he could and Thranduil had settled and puckered his lips back in response lightly once he realized Bard’s determination. The truth was, Bard was a major romantic (which was apparent to the both of them), and as much as he loved blind, evolving passion with tongues rolling, teeth cutting and hands roaming, he enjoyed slow, long gestures the most. In that kiss, he could taste the excess strawberry on Thranduil’s lips, smell the sweetness permeating his hair through the sweat of the hike, feel the healthy warmth of his cheeks, and hear calm breaths beating softly from his nose.

Bard sighed contentedly, making the kiss as long and deep as possible without having their tongues converge. He knew that Thranduil had been wanting their lips to touch as much as Bard had been craving it, especially after the stunt Thranduil pulled before they reached the heavenly view of Crater Lake atop the mountain. Thranduil lost his patience as Bard finally broke the kiss, but Bard managed to dodge him with a chuckle. Thranduil wasn’t amused.

“ _Whyyy_?” Thranduil whined and pawed at Bard’s lap with his eyes sparkling pleadingly.

“I owe you a show.” Bard said and as Thranduil gave him an interested look, he realized he and Thranduil were on a different page about what kind of “show” Bard meant. “An _archery_ show.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Thranduil spoke with a smirk immediately rising on his lips and his mischievous eyes scanned over Bard’s chest, recalling the sight of Bard’s bare skin and rippling muscles. “Shirtless, remember.”

“I remember, don’t you worry. It’s hot out; I won’t mind stripping off a layer, but I warn you my sweat doesn’t smell that great.”

Thranduil clearly didn’t care about any odor because he was already out of the truck, opening Bard’s door and eagerly pulling him out with a cute, excited smile stuck on his face. Bard couldn’t believe someone like Thranduil got so much joy out of looking at him with one less article of clothing on, but he also couldn’t believe he was so happy to even talk to him or be near him at all; a year ago Thranduil hadn’t even known Bard. He couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Thranduil thought of him, but he would wait until Thranduil was ready to open up about that part of their odd relationship.

Bard swept through the house, finding that his parents had gone. Since the beautiful summer weather was far from spent, and the fact that his parents were also romantic cheeseballs, he figured they’d gone out for an evening of fishing. He led Thranduil to the backyard and pulled a chair onto the lawn for him before retrieving one of his bows and a quiver of arrows from the shed he and his father built when he was very small. He first rid of himself of his bandana, shaking out his hair, and his shirt was the next and last thing to go with Thranduil watching him closely as he sipped on a cold can of iced tea. He situated his quiver over his shoulder and subconsciously stroked the bend of his bow as he stretched out his neck. He raised his arms with his bow ready in position, reached back to pull out an arrow, set it in place, and pulled back the bowstring readily. He smiled as he heard Thranduil sound a very pleased noise at how his muscles bulged when he took such a strong pose.

“I’m going to hit the ‘o’ in the sign that says ‘Bowmans’ on that far tree over there.” Bard announced and took in an even breath before firing and hitting his target dead on. He didn’t mind using the sign as a target, since there were already arrow marks in it from years past. He spun on his heel and pulled three arrows from his quiver and held them in the same hand as his bow hand.

“Three apples in less than five seconds.”

Sure enough, Bard kept his word and in less than five seconds, he’d struck three apples hanging from a tree at the far end of the vast back yard and knocked them from their branches. He eyed his mother’s wind chime jingling on the back porch and knew it wouldn’t break and he could set it back up without her ever knowing and at his word, the point of his arrow cut it from its thin tie and it clanked onto the porch floor.

“My, my, what an impressive show off you are.” Thranduil commented and Bard shrugged as he pushed back his hair and flashed a grin.

“Well, you wanted a show, didn’t you?”

“I have your next target right here.” Thranduil spoke as he stood, shook his iced tea can, and placed himself near the tree line. Bard watched curiously as Thranduil climbed up onto a tree branch and hung upside down, his golden ponytail swaying. He wiggled very deftly so that his side was facing Bard with his feet and one hand clinging to the branch; in the other hand was his iced tea can. He extended his neck, tipping his chin toward the sky and set the can beneath it.

“Are you crazy?” Bard called and Thranduil steadied the can with his free hand as he replied.

“Maybe, but I think the question here is not my sanity, but your skill, Mr. Bowman.”

“Hey, that’s my dad.”

“Alright then, _dragonslaye_ r. Now hurry up before I fall, this bark is killing my hands.”

“You can’t rush perfection, especially when there’s life involved.”

“It only took a few seconds for your parents to make you, so there.”

“That’s sweet…and incredibly weird and creepy.”

With a fading laugh, Thranduil moved his hand away from the can and closed his eyes. Bard had never had people involved in his shooting before and it was extremely nerve-wracking, but he had to trust himself. He hadn’t missed a target in years – what were the odds he’d miss this one?

He had to take three deep breaths for this one and he would’ve taken a fourth, but the longer he waited the more tired Thranduil’s grip would become and if he moved at all he could be severely hurt…or worse. With his final exhale, he released the arrow and much to his horror, he blinked, but when he opened his eyes Thranduil was very much alive and not bleeding. His head had perked up once the can flew from his chin and then his gaze darted to Bard. Their eyes met and for a moment there was silence.  Joyous laughter followed, cracking through the air as Thranduil lowered himself from the tree. They ran to each other, hugging and shouting into the air triumphantly. Thranduil shrieked in surprise as Bard lifted him with one arm while still gripping his bow in the other and spinning him around.

“Always impressing me; you’re so strong.” Thranduil spoke, biting his lip and batting his eyelashes flirtatiously. Bard set him down gently and Thranduil’s hands instantly clung around his arms. “How about one more challenge?”

“There’s no way I’m doing any crazier shooting than that.” Bard breathed and Thranduil shook his head.

“Nothing too extreme, but there’ll be a wager this time.”

“But aren’t you afraid you’ll lose? You saw me get all those.”

“I’m not too worried. Besides, it might be more challenging than you think.” Thranduil chimed as he danced around the brunette and dragged his fingers all the way around his chest and arms as he whirled around him like a playful wood fairy.

“What do you have in that mischievous mind of yours?” Bard questioned and Thranduil turned Bard to face the Bowman sign again.

“Hit the hole in the ‘a’.”

“That’s easy.” Bard laughed proudly and commanded his body into its typical shooting stance. “If I for some reason didn’t hit it, what do you get? I’m assuming that’s the reason for this charade; you want something.”

“Sexy, sweet, talented, strong _and_ smart; you’re the whole package, aren’t you? If you don’t hit it, you have to do whatever I say for the rest of the day.”

“Alright. And If I do hit it?”

“If you do hit it, I have to do whatever you say.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

“Don’t be too disappointed when you don’t get what you want, okay?”

“Like I said, I’m not worried. This task is a challenge for a reason,” Thranduil said with his voice dropping into a mere whisper as he wrapped his arms around Bard from behind and huffed a hot breath onto his ear, making Bard shudder uncontrollably and let out a fine gasp. “You have to try to hit it while I try to distract you…go ahead, _try_.”

The emphasis he put on the word “try” as he blew it into Bard’s ear was teasing; Thranduil made it sound like there was no way Bard could possibly achieve the task under the conditions and that irked Bard immensely because even though he relished Thranduil’s touch, Bard did not favor losing, n matter what the game or challenge. He raised his head high as Thranduil’s fingertips traced circles around his nipples and then glided down his chest, leaving an invisible trail of adoration along the contours of his bulging, heaving pecs and toned his six-pack.

“ _I'm waiting_.” Thranduil cooed as his nails grazed the bit of Bard’s ‘v’ lines that crept up from his low hanging shorts and Bard swallowed a lump in his throat.

He kept his hazel eyes locked on the ‘a’ of the wooden sign and focused on his breathing…in and out… _in_ …and _out_ …but then another noise interrupted his attention with ease, a hum of a moan, to be exact. His eyebrows fixed into a firm point and he was concentrating _so_ hard that his eyes were now narrow and he kept repeating “ _in and out_ ” in his head to convince himself that his breath was the only thing within all existence. With one final thought of “ _out_ ” in his brain, his fingers moved to fling the arrow straight into its target, but his eyes widened, his arrow shot askew, and he whimpered loudly as he was suddenly grabbed by the package and yanked backward into Thranduil’s body. His hand opened without warning and his bow fell to the ground.

“ _You lost_.” Thranduil said all too victoriously as his fiendish fingers rubbed circles on Bard’s dick and the brunette squirmed out of pleasure and frustration.

“You cheated! You… _m-mnh_ , _Thranduil!_ ”

Bard was hooked. Even though he did not know what Thranduil Oropherion felt for him or thought of him for certain, he was convinced deep in his heart that this guy who had come crashing into his life and taken him hostage loved him on some level... _love_. He decided then that if there was such a thing as true love in the world, that this was it; there was simply no other way to describe his profound infatuation and his willingness to trust and be with Thranduil in every way imaginable.

 

**Author's Note:**

> According to LOTR wikia, Bard's name was taken from Old Norse language, so I did a little looking around and got his parents' names (Brant and Runa) from behindthename.com - I just loooved the name Runa and they're a cute married couple :) There will be more of this series to come for sure, I have much more in store for these two love birds which is kind of why I hate writing them so mushy now because I'm anticipating some upcoming drama...but no spoilers! I'm looking forward to the next part and I hope you guys are too! <3


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